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Dealing with Debt Collection Letters
If you have missed payments for any of your debts, there is a chance that you will have debt collection letters piling up on your desk. These letters will remind you of all the money you owe to certain people or certain companies. However, before you shove those debt collection letters into your desk drawer, try looking at them. Once you start acknowledging these letters, you’ll have less anxiety over your unpaid bills.
Get all your debt collection letters out. Try organizing them. Sort the letters according to the companies that sent them. After that, sort them according to the dates they were sent. Organizing the debt collection letters will help you track the status of your account.
If you’re getting confused, here’s a quick guide to help you understand the different types of debt collection letters you will receive.
Initial Collection Letter – This letter is the first letter you will receive. It simply notifies you that you have missed a payment. It contains information about the amount you owe as well as the due date. It may also include information about penalties for late payments.
Follow-up Collection Letters – These letters may form the bulk of your pile of debt collection letters. They carry no threats. They simply tell you things like the amount you owe, how long the payment has been overdue, and how you can settle the account immediately. These letters also state that the creditor is still willing to conduct business with you, and he still values you as a good customer. Since these letters are to notify you about your outstanding debt, your creditor will send a lot of them to you.
Final Demand Collection Letter – This letter is the last letter you will receive. If you do not respond to this letter, expect a debt collector to contact you. Out of all the debt collection letters, this one is the most serious and imposing. It usually gives a deadline for you to make payment of the amount due. This letter also informs the debtor that if he does not make any response, the account will be turned over to a collection agency.
Debt collection letters help the debtor understand one thing – the creditor wants his money back. So, before you get into further trouble, grab the debt collection letters and contact your creditor immediately. However, try to initiate communication through writing. This ensures that you will have actual documents to use as evidence in case there is any disagreement between you and your credit in the future.
Once you have responded to a debt collection letter, just wait for offers from the creditor. Usually, debt collection letters are a sign that the creditor is frustrated. He is eager to get his money back. In order to make sure that you keep paying, the creditor will negotiate with you. He may lower the fees, give you more time or reduce the interests on your debt. For the creditor, it is better to receive a smaller amount than nothing at all.
Debt Collection News
California Senate approves stricter rules on debt collection - Los Angeles Times
Senators approved tougher regulations on the debt collection industry on Tuesday, a move hailed by consumer advocates as an important step toward protecting California residents from unscrupulous collectors. Under the proposal, companies that ...
New Study Shows Third-Party Debt Collection Positively Impacts Louisiana's Economy - YAHOO!
BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Third-party debt collection has an important impact on America's and Louisiana's economies, according to a new study by ACA International and global advisory firm Ernst and Young (www ...
New Study Shows Third-Party Debt Collection Positively Impacts the National and State Economies - YAHOO!
"These findings reinforce the critical role the third-party debt collection industry plays as a service provider in recovering unpaid consumer debt on behalf of the public, private and non-profit sectors," said ACA International CEO Pat Morris. "Moreover ...
FTC’s Asset Acceptance Case Signals Crackdown on Debt-Collection Industry - Bloomberg
The Federal Trade Commission’s $2.5 million settlement with Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. (AACC) is intended to signal it will move against abusive practices in the debt collection industry, agency officials said. Under the agreement with the ...
ECLECTIC RANT: Collection Agency Picked On the Wrong Lou Correa - Berkeley Daily Planet
Sear's billing department had handed the original debt off to LVNV Funding LLC, a debt-collection clearinghouse, which in turn hired the Brachfield Law Group to collect the actual debt. Brachfield sent numerous letters to Luis Correa that went unanswered.
Consequences of holiday debt: Collection calls and wage garnishment - Oregonian
With holiday shopping a memory, credit card bills become a reality. Keeping debts manageable is important, since failing to make payments can damage credit ratings, bring collection agency calls, and even lead to paycheck garnishments.